Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter 3DS apps store 'em all online

A new pair of 3DS apps will let Pokemon trainers sort, store, and transfer their Pokemon more easily than ever before, for an unspecified annual charge.

Nintendo revealed the Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter 3DS apps in a Nintendo Direct earlier today: the former provides online storage boxes for up to 3,000 Pokemon, and the latter allows trainers to easily transfer Pokemon from Black and White and Black and White Version 2 to the Pokemon Bank (for compatibility reasons, it's a one-way trip).

Once uploaded, veteran Pokemon can be handled like any other collectible beast in the bank--sorted, searched, and downloaded en masse to Pokemon X and Y, and presumably any future titles. Plus, they'll be safe and sound if your game or system ever goes BASE jumping out of your hands.

Previously, players needed two systems and an afternoon clear to trade a large number of Pokemon from one game to another. Now they just need two apps--and the unspecified fee, though Bank will come with a free trial--which work with either the retail or eShop versions of the games.